Had a little bit of care been taken he would have been saved considerable distress and adverse publicity

Mary O'Rourke, on behalf of Dr Peter Lindsay

The tribunal in London said Dr Lindsay, of West Park, Leeds was "exonerated" from all charges.

The General Medical Council had also cleared the GP in February this year.

Dr Lindsay, who did not attend the hearing, will start work as a single-handed GP in Pudsey in a few weeks time.

'Distressing'

At the tribunal, chairman William Edis said the health authority should pay the GP's costs, and said the doctor had experienced a distressing few months.

Dr Lindsay left the Robin Lane Medical Centre, where he had worked for 19 years, after a conflict with the other partners.

It was alleged that "irregularities" had been discovered, and the health authority was informed.

The investigation began after concerns were raised over the administration of diamorphine to seven patients.

Five of the patients were in nursing or residential homes, and two had terminal cancer but were living in their own homes.

Investigation criticised

On behalf of Dr Lindsay, Mary O'Rourke told the tribunal the allegations should never have been made in the first place.

She said he had never been on his own with the patients, neither was he present when they died.

The diamorphine was actually given via a syringe pump under the care of district nurses.

She attacked the health authority's handling of the case.

"Had a little bit of care been taken he would have been saved considerable distress and adverse publicity.

"Here is a case where the health authority has brought the case and had nothing to support it.

"It was the result of improper and faulty investigation, failure to call for or look at the records, failure to contact the nursing home staff and failure to ask Dr Lindsay why."

A spokeswoman for Leeds Health Authority, said officials would meet Dr Lindsay on Monday.

Patients from the Robin Lane medical practice supported Dr Lindsay at the time of his arrest.

Susan Hartland, a patient at Dr Lindsay's former practice, said: "I am very sad, he was an excellent doctor and very friendly."